Absentee voting begins in Montana's June 5 primary election

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - Election Day in Montana isn't for another month, but voting is getting underway with election officials mailing absentee ballots on Friday.

Between two-thirds and three-quarters of the people who participate in the June 5 election are expected to vote absentee.

Secretary of State Corey Stapleton says he expects overall turnout to be just one-third of Montana's 675,000 registered voters. That would follow the trend in previous primaries without a presidential race.

Montana voters will be selecting a Republican nominee from four candidates to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester. Five Democratic candidates are competing for their party's nomination to take on Republican U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte in the fall.

Voters will also have the option of returning a third-party ballot, with two Green Party candidates seeking the nomination for the Senate race.

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Click here to check your Montana voter registration status. Click here to see a guide to primary candidates for House and Senate.

ENNIS -Two fires burning near Ennis are prompting evacuations in the area. The Wigwam Fire was discovered in the early evening on August 11, and it quickly grew to 100 acres by Sunday morning. Just south of the Wigwam Fire is the Monument Fire, which is burning about 18 miles southwest of Cameron in the north part of the Gravelly Mountains.

ENNIS -Two fires burning near Ennis are prompting evacuations in the area. The Wigwam Fire was discovered in the early evening on August 11, and it quickly grew to 100 acres by Sunday morning. Just south of the Wigwam Fire is the Monument Fire, which is burning about 18 miles southwest of Cameron in the north part of the Gravelly Mountains.